What must I do 3

In the last chapter we saw that if one trusts in water for salvation, he will be eternally lost. It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11). In this chapter we will discuss the Lord's Supper and the Sermon on the Mount. There was a time in my life when I honestly believed that I was receiving Christ as the wafer was laid on my tongue by my priest. I even felt that the wafer should be untouched by my teeth because this might injure the Christ who was present in the "Pillsbury-baked flour." Later I discovered that my belief in transubstantiation, or "Christ's actual presence in the wafer," was a man-made doctrine not found in the Bible. Upon searching the Word of God I discovered the true meaning of communion or the Lord's Supper.

Christ instituted this supper as recorded in Matthew 26:26-30: And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But l say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. Mark also records the incident in chapter Mk 14:22-26. The point in question is: "Was this the actual body and actual blood of Christ?" The answer has to be "NO!" Christ was still in His body as He held the bread and still had all of His blood in that same body as He held the cup.

Had flesh and blood been ground and drained into the bread and juice, these would have been statements of fact. Since neither occurred, we must look for a spiritual meaning and spiritual it is. Christ makes this dogmatically clear in John 6:51-54: I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

The Jews replied in verse 60: This is an hard saying; who can hear it (or understand it)? Then Christ simplified the meaning in verse 63: The flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit (or spiritual), and they are life. A rule of thumb in interpreting God's Holy Word is this: "All scripture is to be taken literally unless God himself tells us to take it in a spiritual sense." This He does concerning the eating of His flesh and the drinking of His blood. The symbol of eating that which one cannot possibly eat is again given in Jeremiah 15:16: Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart. I promise you that if you take this text literally and eat the cover and pages of the Bible, it will produce stomach cramps and pain rather than joy and rejoicing. So, the meaning has to be spiritual.

By meditating upon the Word of God, one feasts spiritually. This idea of feasting upon Christ spiritually through meditating upon His death and bloodshed is in total harmony with the teaching of the Holy Spirit through Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26: For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying. This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup ye do shew the Lord's death till he come (emphasis mine). Study this text again and see for yourself that the entire supper is an act of remembering Christ's broken flesh through which His blood flowed for sinners. Remembrance has, to do with the intellect. As one's mental apparatus meditates upon Christ at Calvary, he feeds and feasts spiritually upon the Saviour.

This and this alone is so, otherwise the skeptic's cry of "cannibalism" would be true. Let's believe God. He said it in such simple term, that its meaning is abundantly plain. From this we also see that the swallowing of bread and juice does not render one acceptable for an eternity of bliss. Anyone can swallow and many swallow this teaching. One could take communion every hour upon the hour for life and be the worst hell-bound sinner in the annals of history. Many who swallow, wallow in the mire of sin. It takes a genuine experience with Christ, of which the symbols only speak, to do an about-face for God and righteousness. Bread and juice cannot save a human being, but a genuine trust in the shed blood, symbolized by the bread and juice, can. The old song says, "Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? There's a fountain flowing for the soul unclean: Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb." So, dear friend, though the Lord's Supper is a precious experience for the redeemed, it can never do the redeeming. Instead it is for those who have tasted the redemption provided by Christ and now through communion's remembrance cry: "Thank You, Lord Jesus, for allowing Your precious holy blood to flow out of Your broken flesh for my sin. As I take these symbols remembering that crucifixion scene, I thank You for the salvation I already have because of having, trusted in that sacrifice. I will continue to do this until that day when I will be able to thank You in person. Amen and Amen!" Are you able to partake of this body and blood spiritually? Do you have remembrance of a time when His shed blood was personally accepted for sin? One does not have to know the day and the hour, but should remember at least the experience.

If not, the SUPPER OF REMEMBRANCE IS NOT FOR YOU. Get saved now and join those who feast spiritually on this sacrifice. May I go one step further? Please, Christian, I plead with you in the name of Christ for your own health's sake, do not ever partake of the Lord's Supper with unconfessed sin in your heart. I am now talking to those who are already redeemed, who do have a remembrance of the experience of salvation, but have slipped. For you it is severely dangerous to partake of the Holy Supper. First Corinthians 11:27-31 states, Whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily ...eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lords body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we could judge ourselves, we should not be judged. Again may I warn you, do not ever, ever touch this super until all known sin has been confessed. By the way, one of the sins that brought these Corinthians into sickness and death is listed as divisions (vs. 18). Church-splitting, backbiting, gossips better beware!

Your tongue may be silenced through judgment. Now allow me to deal with one more difficulty before moving on to the next portion of this lesson. Study the four Gospels and look for the word "wine" in connection with the Lord's Supper. It cannot be found. Never once does the Holy Spirit use the terminology "wine" in connection with this Holy Supper. Why? Because fermented or rotted juice cannot picture the untainted sinless blood of Jesus. In Leviticus 10:9,10 the children of Israel were not permitted to drink fermented wine before entering the Temple.

Why? Because they were not to mix the holy with the unholy. That is about the best reason in the world to omit wine from the Lord's Supper. Let's stick to the Book which uses "the fruit of the vine,"pure, unadulterated juice, to symbolize the pure sinless blood of the Lamb. Amen again! (If you care to study this subject further, write for my book entitled Alcohol: The Beloved Enemy. )

The Sermon on the Mount

Multitudes today sincerely state, "I am going to get to heaven by following the Sermon on the Mount." Though the seeker is sincere, he is sincerely wrong-for two reasons. First, Christ did not give the Sermon on the Mount as a plan of salvation. Secondly, no mortal being has the capability of keeping the teaching contained within the sermon. It takes Christ within one's, mind, heart, and body to produce anything spiritual, externally. Christ, internally; produces goodness externally. Without Him, forget it. Let me prove this statement.

A. Righteousness

Matthew 5:6: Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Are you among those who literally hunger for God's Word daily? The psalmist could say in chapter Ps 119:97, O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Those who spend hours with newspapers, magazines, television, and sports but never open the pages of God's Word are desecraters of this beatitude. In addition, do you love to be with the people of God in the house of God? Or do you drag yourself out of bed and miserably say, "Phooey, it's Sunday again and that means church. I guess I will just stay home and earn some well deserved rest. " You certainly are not hungering and thirsting after righteousness. The psalmist again said in chapter Ps 122:1, I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Well, that is one strike against 80 percent of us.

B. Purity

In Matthew 5:8 Jesus said, Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Do you buy dirty sex magazines? Do you crave R- and X-rated movies? Is your mouth full of smut? Then you have offended the holiness of God and refused Christ's message.

C. Peacemakers

Matthew 5:9: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Many of humanity's millions are involved in a battle over individual and group rights. We haggle about civil rights, women's rights, labor rights, and in the midst of the struggle deprive others of their rights. We castigate, criticize, and ostracize others and automatically disqualify ourselves from Christ's spiritual peace prize.

D. Persecution

Matthew 5:10: Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. How many have ever really been mistreated because of a personal stand for holiness? Few, I am certain. Christ goes on to say in verse 11: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Have you ever been called a "fool," a "fanatic," an "imbecile." a "moron." or a "Jesus freak"'? Does your life so exemplify Christ that this part of Christ's mountain sermon is a constant reality in your life? If not, where is the evidence that you are following the Master's teachings.

E. Light bearers

Matthew 5:16: Let your fight so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Do you witness? How many have you won to the Saviour? Where are they? Name them to yourself. Is your light really shining? If not, why not?

F. Hate

Matthew 5:21,22: Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time. Thou shall not kill: and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you. That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother: Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire. Have you ever, in a state of anger, cursed or profaned another man?. Then you again are guilty of disregarding Christ's message.

G. Adultery

Matthew 5:27,28: Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time. Thou shall not commit adultery: But I say unto you. That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Remember that filthy magazine and your mental longings as you perused it? Remember that dirty movie and your desire for the star? How about your secret desire for your neighbors wile?The Sermon on the Mount has been ignored for the Valley of the Valley of the Pit in your life.

H. Divorce

Matthew 5:32: Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced cornmitteth adultery. Jesus said that fornication or a state of immorality was the only reason for divorce-not mental cruelty, blustery tempers, dirty dishes, or unbrushed teeth. America and the world are filled with broken homes, yet scores talk about following the Sermon on the Mount. The trouble is, they do not know its contents and they are blindly following their own code of ethics.

It would be interesting, if time allowed, to take all three of these chapters, verse by verse, and really see that none is good (Luke18:19). However, let's jump to Matthew 7:21-23, and see the final outcome for millions when the Judgment day occurs. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day. Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Christ replies, Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. These religious reprobates were talking about the miracles and good deeds they had performed, but Christ denounces their hypocrisy on the basis of the sin they practiced. This is just the reason the Sermon on the Mount is insufficient.

The flesh is weak and unable to meet the stringent demands preached by Christ. Therefore, one must become a new creature and a partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:41). This experience alone makes one qualified to fulfill Gods standards. The partaker has been raised to "newness of life" and has God's own nature within to help him meet the holy ethics of Christ's sermon. Without this new birth experience, it is all a hopeless, helpless exercise in futility. One needs Christ to fulfill Christ's demands. Dear friend, you have now learned that a confident trust in the symbols of Christ's shed blood and an adherence to His teachings, though good, are not good enough to gain an eternity in heaven. It takes Jesus. That is why Acts 16:31 states, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Substitute anything or anyone, good or bad, for Christ and it brings an eternity of doom and damnation. Trust in Christ's shed blood and resurrection today.

What must I do to be lost?